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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — low music
  17. capital — a city
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com